For software engineering, the reason HR fears for arguments is because the whole process is so utterly lacking in rigor compared to the work that engineers do.

For software engineering, the reason HR fears for arguments is because the whole process is so utterly lacking in rigor compared to the work that engineers do. Coding questions provide some amount of objectivity, but the selection of those questions is largely baseless. Moreover, engineers are accustomed to sharing key ideas and results, but in hiring even salary data is used in information arbitrage (especially before levels.fyi). Even worse, we have things like Rooftop Slushie where FAANG engineers will give candidates feedback but for a price. As if FAANG engineers weren’t paid enough. One gap that individuals can bridge is for IC interviewers to ask for feedback on their own interviewing. ICs typically don’t see how well hires do through year one, and almost never see where non-hires go. Hiring managers often stay on top of this data (or at least have access to it) in order to self-calibrate. If that data has any chance of helping inform candidates, it needs to trickle down to the IC interviewers first.